It’s been 23 years since Martin went off the air but thanks to the legendary sitcom being available on streaming services like HBO Max, longtime fans and new ones alike are constantly requesting a reboot.
The reason for wanting a reboot is not surprising. Besides the show being lauded as one of the funniest and head of its time in terms of comedy, the way the series ended didn’t necessarily provide closure for its fans.
Sexual harassment claims filed by Tisha Campbell against Martin Lawrence made for an unconventional fifth season. The two could not film together in the same scenes nor even be on set at the same time. As a result, the series finale did not feature the two together, nor did multiple episodes that aired prior. In fact, half of the final season centered on supporting characters in the show.
It was just a few short years ago that Campbell and Lawrence made peace, though Lawrence seemingly stands by his insistence that nothing inappropriate between him and Campbell ever took place. Campbell just seems to want to move forward, which is in the form of a reboot to give fans what they’ve long waited for. Reboot rumblings have been running rampant since the stars teased it when Campbell, Lawrence and Tichina Arnold all three appeared in photos together in 2018 after spending time together. They also appeared together, along with Carl Anthony Payne, at the ABFF Honors.
In a new exclusive interview with Entertainment Tonight, Campbell gushes over her long-overdue reunion with her television husband.
“We got to talk, apologize, love on one another. We were laughing at the end of it. We got to start appreciating everything that we’ve all been through,” she says. “That’s what I think really life is all about. You go through these dark moments, and at the time you don’t really realize that is something that is needed to uplift you and make you bigger and better.”
She also reflects on the show’s importance in the culture and why she’s hoping for a reboot.
“I felt like it was the right thing and it turned out to be the right thing — much bigger than any of us could have imagined,” she says. “To see how it has stood the test of time, I never ever thought that we would be iconic.”
One of the reasons he believes the show was such a success is due to her and Lawrence’s undeniable on-screen chemistry.
“After a while, I got to play with Martin. I learned so much,” she says. “I have learned everything about comedy from that man…There were so many Black shows going on at the time. What was important was that there were two young African American people who were in love,” she says. “Now, we had The Cosby Show representation. But we really [never] had two young people who were having fun, discovering each other, discovering life. I think that is [why] there are so many songs about Martin and Gina.”
As for the potential reboot, she promises that if a studio isn’t interested, the cast is down to make it happen on their own.
Photo: Getty
